The state of the scene

Our first annual musical census

There's been a sense in the Triangle for years that the area has a standout music scene. It wasn't just from the big names that came out of here--Superchunk, Ben Folds, the Squirrel Nut Zippers. It was from the many clubs that have survived for more than a decade, mostly in Chapel Hill, and the many more that have mushroomed in the last few years, particularly in Raleigh--the Lincoln Theatre, King's, the Pour House. And then there are the thousands of musicgoers all over the Triangle who keep music alive, both in and out of the clubs.

"Sounds Local: The Indy Music Guide 2003" is The Independent Weekly's first foray into documenting the scope, scale and diversity of Triangle music. It's designed to be useful to both casual music aficionados and musicians. It provides contact information for those looking to hire bands and also some explanatory information to give those unfamiliar with local musicians a chance to learn more about a band before going to a show.

Roughly 300 bands and musicians participated by submitting their information to our listings. The descriptions are the bands' own, edited for style, grammar and space considerations. So, if a band says it sounds like The Clash, we're taking their word for it.

And, in this edition of The Indy's regular Rock 'n' Roll Quarterly, we're offering a chance to get a sense of what it's like to be aspiring musicians trying to make it.

So sit back, read, enjoy--and when you're done, we hope you'll want to go out and listen.